Happy New Year! I was lucky to have a pretty decent 2021, and I know I am in the minority here. It was a shocker for many of my favourite people. Wherever January 2022 finds you (ideally somewhere relaxing and on holiday with many tasty …
My parents are amazing gardeners and I couldn’t resist this little scallopini left over from their crop. Mainly because, what a cute vegetable, everyone! How could you not want to take it home? Little and frilly and kind of like a flying saucer. I’ve eaten …
Sometimes, despite the best of intentions, fruit can go a little south in the fruit bowl. Things in general feel like they have gone a little south lately. This time a year ago our current COVID circumstances would have been unimaginable to pretty much all of us, bar epidemiologists and fans of apocalyptic fiction (like my husband).
I think we could all do with a little comfort baking at the moment. The apple pictured above is in these days and times cause for joy. It provides an excuse – no, it necessitates even – sweet, carb-y treats and ample butter. Of course my reaction to past-it apples is usually stewed apple for healthy porridge, but in the middle of a pandemic? Baking is the only solution.
Along with the comfort baking, I’m feeling very lucky in our little bubble. My rescue cats are in heaven, as depicted. And I’m feeling doubly lucky after the outpouring of love in response to my last post. I wish a heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you. You are all a part of my support bubble, which is particularly important when our COVID-restricted physical bubbles are much smaller.
I hope you have an apple or two languishing in your fruit bowl for these scones. Enjoy and take care.
Spiced apple scones – makes 12
Ingredients::
3 cups of plain flour
6 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
3 apples, peeled and grated
5 tablespoons of butter
3/4 cup of milk plus a little extra for brushing
Method
Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar in a large bowl. Add the grated apple and stir to combine. Rub in the butter with your hands until the mixture looks crumbly.
Make a well in the centre and add the milk. Stir to combine and gather the dough together with your hands, kneading a few times until all is combined. Add a little more milk if the mixture seems dry – it can depend on the juiciness of the apples.
Sprinkle flour on a baking tray. Tip the mixture onto the tray and divide into 12 rectangular portions. Brush the tops with the extra milk.
Bake for 12 minutes or until the tops of the scones are golden brown.
Do you get to feeling nibbly late afternoon? Does your mouth start watering as you fantasise about stuffing large handfuls of salt and vinegar chips into your mouth alongside stacks of delicious lovely cheese? Well, friends, have I got a deal for you. Because while …
I am busy looking after my garden, or is it looking after me? It’s working hard, growing many of my favourite treats, including raspberries, zucchinis and cucumbers. My rangy, imperfect little beginner’s garden is very restorative. I can nurture my plants and enjoy some success, …
Sometimes you just need some gently savoury food in your life, for comfort’s sake. I have felt this way recently. Freshly-baked bread, cheese scones, pulses and hot drinks are the order of the day. Infused oils are an excellent way to pep up most of the above (with the obvious exclusion of hot drinks. Tea and garlic oil? Thanks, but no thanks).
I always love having a stash of nice oils in my pantry. They look pretty and give me a happy little pang of satisfaction to see them all lined up as I scan the cupboard waiting for inspiration. I really love infusing oils – your house fills with a lovely aroma of chilli, garlic, basil, rosemary, or whatever other delights you are preparing for your oil. It’s an excellent way to use up old bottles rather than consign them to the recycling, and a bottle of infused oil makes a lovely gift.
I chose garlic most recently because a number of after-work meals on high rotation in our kitchen benefit from some garlic. I am, thankfully and mercifully, very tolerant of garlic and other members of the allium family. My beloved husband, however, needs more FODMAP-y fare. Garlic oil is an excellent helper in this regard.
When reading about infusing oils, there is some excitement out there about about the low risk of botulism. So please keep this in the fridge – I swear it will be fine, but I would hate to be responsible for an outbreak of botulism amongst WordPress readers!
To make this I used:
250ml rice bran oil – olive oil is completely lush with garlic too, but as this batch was largely to accompany other flavours, I used a lighter oil
1 head of garlic
1 glass bottle, sterilised (freaked me out the first time I sterilised bottles and jars but actually really truly simple and you will feel like a domestic goddess
Also on hand – a fry pan and a sieve
Method
Cut the bottom off your garlic head, remove each clove and peel it. Squash each clove with the flat part of a large knife, so some of the flavour can be released when cooking in the oil.
Place your pan over a medium heat. Once warm, add approximately two tablespoons of the oil. Allow to heat.
Add the garlic to the oil and stir to coat. Once it is bubbling add the rest of the oil.
Allow to heat gently, stirring from time to time, for about half an hour. Try not to let the garlic colour.
Take off the heat and cool. When cool, strain through a sieve into a jug and then bottle. You can leave the garlic cloves in and indeed I love it like this – you just have to use it up a little quicker, and it’s not so good for those who can’t tolerate garlic.
Store in your fridge. It is goes a bit cloudy and viscous due to the cold, simply stand in some hot water to return to pourability.
Some things are meant to be. I’ve been thinking about Kahawai for a while now. Common in our waters, it seems to me – and correct me if I’m wrong – that people can get a little sniffy about them. Kind of like they’re …
Happy 2017 everyone! I think we can all agree that the year we have just ushered out was rather bruising, whether you’re talking politically, artistically, or for many of us, personally. So, what we really need to ring in the New Year is not cucumber sticks, …
Pork and porridge. It’s not too often you get these two together, but they are both delicious with a little applesauce, no?
Admittedly, my first thought on arriving at Apple Sauce in the Edmonds Cookbook (apart from no, not more apples) was ho-hum. Apple sauce eh? What can you do with that? It looks a bit like snot, therefore not particularly photogenic. There’s not a lot of excitement in making it either.
This was all a little unfair and some internet browsing has piqued my interest. Preparing apple-based sauces goes back to medieval Europe and many cuisines have their own version. Check out this recipe for Norwegian apple sauce with rye cinnamon crumbs and yoghurt. Oh my, wouldn’t that be a lovely sight to greet you for breakfast! Or, this recipe for Danish applesauce (‘æblegrød’) with cream!
So you can imagine I embarked on my Applesauce with a little more excitement after this. It’s very easy and a very good way to use up any apples that are past their best and loitering in the fruit bowl. I’ve been enjoying it with my morning oats, greek yoghurt and a little dusting of cinnamon, which is a very nice way to start the day indeed.
Ingredients:
Put all ingredients in a pan and simmer over a low heat, until the apples are ‘pulped.’ I have not come across this expression before, so I took it to mean ‘mushy’!
At this point, Edmonds instructs beating it with a fork until smooth. Being a softer City-girl, I used a stick blender rather than a fork and elbow grease, which gave a nice smooth finish.
This keeps well in the fridge for several days, covered with a little cling film.
If you fancy a sugar hangover, look no further. This fudge is mouth-suckingly sweet and all the better for it. A firm Kiwi favourite, it is dense and rich, comprised largely of sugar, sweetened condensed milk and golden syrup. I can’t get to the bottom …